Mesec rolled his silver eyes good-naturedly as Najya lectured him on how he needed to go talk to Ampere before realizing that she wasn’t just teasing him, she was being serious. He started to open his mouth to argue with her - blame the fact that she was losing her sight on anything that she might have thought she had seen. But they had all just been through battles with Gods, Mesec’s sister had died, and he had attacked wolf and horse alike - seeing her safe and unharmed had been enough for him to forget to tiptoe around her so he could avoid being the subject of her fury once more.

Still filled with denial and doubt, Mesec didn’t pause to worry about just why he had been so concerned about her - and surely her concern towards him had been nothing more than friendly? There hadn’t been doubt in the moment (he had been too busy enjoying their proximity and feeling worry) but enough time had passed for him to grow uncertain again.

Even with Najya’s reassuring smile, the demigod shifted uncomfortably - shuffling his dark hooves against some loose sand beneath them. He could have sworn that just as he did so, Lucius let loose an audibly sigh of exasperation.

In the few moments that he had before he responded, he tried to think of a smooth way to change the subject entirely - but they were too far along.

The idea of walking up to Ampere and telling her that he loved her was enough to petrify him - he’d rather go back to the bamboo forest and face the wolf god all on his own, or spend some quality time with his mother. He’d rather be a colt again and have Roskuld embarrass him in front of his first crush.

If he couldn’t change the subject then at least he could be quick to come up with a list of reasons to rationalize to Najya just why he would not be doing that. “But we’ve never talked about anything like that - I mean, she has a son so what if she has a mate that I don’t know about? And then I walk up and tell her that I… I… I’m in love with her and what, what happens then?” It was easier to confess that big, frightening, four-letter word to Najya than it would be to the one that it was aimed at - there were no consequences if he said it now.

Mesec’s face relaxed into a sad smile, wondering if everyone went through this when they cared for another. What was it like, to live without being riddled with doubt? “I want her in my life, Najya, and if it means we’re just friends then I’ll take it. She doesn't need to know how I feel.”