[ it's certainly a raw sort of 'being open', but. Honestly, after all they've been through in the last week--in the last few months, truth be told, compounded by the traumatizing experience that reminded both of them that life may be shorter than they realise--

It's easy to be open. Lapis makes it easy, he's thought to himself, more than once. Her playful but firm nature--the way she can be sweet but turn around and be the greatest pillar of strength he'd ever seen--

He's grown attached. Blindingly so. And for a man who's lived a third of his life in the dark, he'd be a fool to continue lying to himself that maybe he wants a little bit of that light in his life.
...Even if, funnily enough, that light draws the shadows around him more comfortably than should be natural. ]

Ha, I cannot tell if you're teasing me again, or saying you've made some sort of fool of me. [ he hums with a pleased sound at the back of his throat. A smile moving over his face. ]

But then again.
One does say that, when smitten, it is easy to be a fool, yeah?