[He keeps his face in his hands, breathing calm, sparking slightly where Boone pats his shoulder. One wing twitches and reflexively pulls away. He told himself repeatedly he was happy here. He is; he told himself he missed his friends, he'd be happy yo see them again, that he knew things had changed.]

[And yet here he was. He'd done so much wrong by her, and the rest of his friends, by keeping his own fears to himself. And he had to know he couldn't go back to normal; especially here. He couldn't have lied to her, or set Boone aside.]

I know.

I'd hoped to keep it to myself.

[It's the one thing he can't account for, he can't control.]

At least, to tell her on my own terms and on my own time.