[ And there was the reaction she was afraid of, prompting her to sigh quietly as she closed her eyes. Already she was missing the warmth of their hands touching, the last of her blush ebbing away with the change in atmosphere. But before she could do anything about that, she needed to make things clear. ]

Ace... [ Again she shook her head lightly, searching harder for the best way to put it. ] You've... been honest with me. Please don't stop now, over this.

[ As she spoke, her hand had moved closer to his once more, but she hesitated to take it completely in case it made Ace uncomfortable, after the impression she had given him. After a few moments of silence, she settled with gently hooking her little finger with his. They would still be connected that way. ]

It'll take some getting used to, for me, because it's all new. [ Having her feelings reciprocated, and acting on them... Childish as such thinking might seem, she hadn't thought it would ever happen. ] And between us, I was the one who started it.

Besides... [ Opening her eyes, a tiny smile graced her lips as she sought to meet his gaze. ] We may have been both trained to control our emotions, but yours are part of what I respect about you.