He grits his teeth for a moment, trying to recapture that sense of calm that had existed as they walked back from the baths. This conversation has intensified in ways he wasn't expecting, for reasons he can't explain.
"I don't." While poverty has been true of him for years now, making an ass of himself in front of women hasn't, and he feels it. When Percy forces honesty out of his mouth this time, it's harder than it was in the prison. Having a tooth pulled would be pleasant by comparison. "I'm...embarrassed, all right? I misread the situation, and I'd love it if we could talk about anything else in the world besides that fact."
Please, save him from the agony of looking too eager in the face of affection.
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Date: 2025-06-06 07:29 pm (UTC)"I don't." While poverty has been true of him for years now, making an ass of himself in front of women hasn't, and he feels it. When Percy forces honesty out of his mouth this time, it's harder than it was in the prison. Having a tooth pulled would be pleasant by comparison. "I'm...embarrassed, all right? I misread the situation, and I'd love it if we could talk about anything else in the world besides that fact."
Please, save him from the agony of looking too eager in the face of affection.