"I don't know that it's bravery, precisely... and certainly nothing to be commended." He shakes his head a little, embarrassed at his own absurd hangups on this particular thing. "But I appreciate your patience with me."

There's a momentary pause, he takes a breath and the anxious hesitation is clear even though he very studiously does not glance around them. The odds are slim that anyone's even out here anyway and Claude has shared so much with him, given him the opportunity to stay by his side with Flayn.

It makes it much easier to push himself to take risks, even if he feels like a fool for considering them risks. He brings a hand up to cup Claude's face, nodding slightly to his remark. "In a moment..." And then he presses his lips to Claude's but this time it's not quick or careful or even soft really. No, he kisses him firmly, parting his lips almost immediately to deepen the kiss.... Not for the first time since he'd panicked but certainly the first time he's offered such a thing outside of the privacy of his home.