Another chuckle, this a bit more nervous as he takes a seat beside Ashton, careful to not dislodge the sprig of flowers he'd placed on Orym's pillow.

"The truth is, when I left home I had... all these fanciful notions of what it would mean to be free, to explore and have all these adventures. And everything I've experienced since then is nothing like I expected it to be." He sits, a bit hunched forward with his elbows resting on his knees, playing a bit with his hands. "Everything is so much different than how I pictured it, even who I thought I would be, and..." He pauses a moment, trying to find the right words. "I'd always imagined falling in love, what that would be like. And I've had flights of fancy with people before, even back home. But the way I feel for Orym... it's unlike anything I've ever felt for anyone before. And I guess... part of me is a bit worried about messing it up. Maybe I just want to be sure of what it is, because I'm scared of either of us getting hurt in the end."

He falls quiet a moment, then shakes his head and clears his throat. "Sorry, uh... you weren't asking about all that." He mentally kicks himself, feeling bad for dumping all this on Ashton when the other had been the one coming to him for advice.