A look of surprise washed over Vinnie's face. For a moment, he was at a loss for how to respond - the silence was longer than he liked, and likely longer than Bulba was comfortable with, too.

Urgently, he tried to play back the last few times they'd been together, whether or not he'd given indication that he'd been upset at Bulba. The evidence wasn't great. After what happened over the holidays, the Venusaur had managed to become very internalized with his guilty and worry, pushing away his boyfriend in the process.

It was true that all the conflict had made things strained, and Vinnie couldn't honestly say he was glad to be in such a situation. But when it was just the two of them, even if it was just stealing time away from the inevitable rift between loyalties, it felt... right. Like this was a place he wanted to stay, for as long as he could.

Did Bulba feel the same, though? How long had he been wondering this? Was it just today? The last month? Months, plural?

His expression softened, but Vinnie was still undeniably nervous when he responded, "I'm happy with you. Why...?"