[He's clearly taken by surprised by the way Hubert blinks at her, hand still outstretched. The barest hint of something flickers across his face, gone before it can form into a true expression.]
[His hand lowers half-way, floating a little awkwardly between them as Hubert finds his words.]
I... would not want to make you uncomfortable, Nicoletta. [It's weak. Hubert wasn't naive; the coloring on her face was more than just frost-nipped, to say nothing of the way she peered up at him or advanced—or that Hubert doubted he could make someone as bold as Nico uncomfortable, considering where she worked.]
[But the words were a good buffer while he processed this new information, this surprising expression of interest.]
no subject
[His hand lowers half-way, floating a little awkwardly between them as Hubert finds his words.]
I... would not want to make you uncomfortable, Nicoletta. [It's weak. Hubert wasn't naive; the coloring on her face was more than just frost-nipped, to say nothing of the way she peered up at him or advanced—or that Hubert doubted he could make someone as bold as Nico uncomfortable, considering where she worked.]
[But the words were a good buffer while he processed this new information, this surprising expression of interest.]