"But being around you has been so easy," Vlad continued quietly. Any wryness in his expression had gone now. "I don't catch myself putting my guard up, because I feel safe enough with you--I don't need to. And that's given me the chance to realize that enrutdh, or a-romantic, or whatever, that's just part of me, and it's all right." He added softly, "I wouldn't call that 'falling short.'"

In the silence that followed, Teige sank farther down against the wall, chin tucked against the ruff of his neck. He smiled a little as if to himself, and didn't say anything, at least for a moment.

Then he straightened up a little, enough to say hoarsely, "So you were pretending not to hear me when I said 'love ya' earlier tonight, then?"

The accusation in his voice was very light, and he said it with a sort of grin, but Vlad ducked his head in shame anyway. "Okay, yeah, I panicked," he admitted. "Sorry. I thought this would be a harder conversation than it has been, to be honest."

Teige let himself sink back down, and this time his horns hit the pillow. "'S all right," he said easily. "I've been avoiding hard conversations like it's me job lately. 'M glad you could tell me all this."

His glowing eyes had narrowed to slits, and he'd tucked his arms back under the blankets. Vlad smiled and got to his feet.

"...Tomorrow I'll go put in my R.I.T. paperwork," Teige mumbled as Vlad stood. "Maybe they'll let me go back to school for 'em."