[It's a fair request, but it still feels like the air has been sucked right out of him. He's flustered, embarrassed and left to deal with something he's been in denial over for far too long. That would be difficult normally, in any condition, but with D holding his face like this, he can only look right back at him.

His own hands drop away from D's shoulders as he tries to search for the right words to both express how he feels and not dig him deeper into this hole of utter embarrassment.

How he feels... How he feels!! Just say it, Leon, the hard part is over! D just admitted something himself!]

I want to be with you! [That's what gets blurted out first, his hands moving up suddenly to cover D's. Emotion's getting the best of him, but for once, that may be just fine. How else would he manage to yell these embarrassing things?] I started looking forward to coming over to the pet shop. Spending time with you, or when Chris was around, and even all the animals...

[He's saying more than he has to here. Gross. At the same time, he's still not saying enough, he thinks. But he's barely registering all of this at once. Give him time.]

I want that back. I want to make up for whatever the hell I missed! And... [Ah, his heated energy is dying out as his eyes slide down and to the side.] I don't know how else to say this. I guess I want to be closer to you.