[The bird continues its song, and still the silence between them stretches on. He's watching with a small smile on his face, noticing the slight heat in her cheeks still, that anxious tail still going. He can't read her thoughts, but he thinks he can get the measure of her, and he moves to prop himself up on his elbows.]

...You might realise at this point that you can't change my mind. I know how I feel. So the only real question left to answer is... Do you like being with me? I think you've already answered that question.

[By seeking him out. By humouring him even now with his requests to talk, even though it's seemingly the most difficult thing in the world, right now, while he just lounges around and watches. Still, he won't be completely difficult about it now that he's given her a chance, and instead, he opts to help.]

I think the rest just comes with time, you know? Like a muscle that wasted away from lack of use, feelings are kinda like that, too. Accepting that it's not a lie, or a mistake, or that you're not worthy... Maybe the guilt won't stop eating at you until your world is restored, and you can set things right. Maybe it'll never go away.

But, it'll all seem a lot more achievable, if you have someone to help you along on your journey. A shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen to your complaints, someone to hunt with, to tend your wounds, to smile with...

[Ah, there he goes again, opening his big mouth when he tried not to, and now he's finding himself reeling off a list like a proposal. Yet there's so much he wants to give her, that all seems like it barely scratches the surface.

He sits up properly, offering a smile that appears-- shy. ]

...Well, if you want those things, having them would only make you stronger.