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"Yes, I think you're handsome. Or cute, if you prefer. Both, really."

Did he prefer..?

The puzzled look didn't lessen at all, not even as Dai smiled down at him, and all at once he had an inkling of how Cami must have felt when she'd gotten a taste of his thoughts after the mission to Atlantis. The difference being they'd had an established friendship already, and Henry had only just met the boy beside him. "No, no one's ever told me that before." Well, his grandma had, a lot, but he'd always figured she was just biased.

For long moment he sat there quietly, not quite sure what to say, or if he should say anything. Not even entirely sure how he felt about the compliment or the obvious interest Dai was throwing his way. Did he even like boys? He didn't...not like boys, he didn't think. Honestly, he hadn't thought much about it before, because there'd never been a situation that'd prompt it.

~How do ye nae know, child? It's not tha complicated a thin'~

He frowned at Nicky, but it had him lifting his gaze to Dai again, really looking at him this time. Baby blues flicking from dark hair to dark eyes, the line of his jaw, the width of his shoulders. Dai reminded him of one of the more popular kids he'd gone to high school with, the ones that alway shad the pretty girlfriends and the gaggle of friends following them around. Only this time it was Henry that was getting that positive attention. "Th..ank you." The blush was coming back.

Henry blinked, almost started at the reassurance and he had to bite back an apology. Old habits. "I'm not uncomfortable." That much he was sure of. Nothing Dai had said bothered him at all. Only startled him a bit. Made him think.

Compliments were always nice, but there was something more to hearing that somebody found you attractive. It tugged at things inside, and the confusion began to fade under the knowledge that Dai really was flirting with him, and that it wasn't just some cruel joke. Or, he didn't think it was. Hoped it wasn't.

[snip]

Dai saw the blush, and controlled the urge to smile wider, because it was utterly adorable. Instead, he just watched for a long moment, waiting on the other young man, while he fidgeted and 'worked' away. Given they had just been told to come here, with no real instructions, Dai had to assume they watched and waited, until someone emerged. Beyond that, Dai figured it was a good chance to relax. He just wished he had thought to bring a book, in case they both got bored of chatting.

And then Henry asked about his sister, and Dai's smile got bright again, though a little differently. "You know her? Yes, she's my older sister." He paused, considered the way that gap had shortened, and sighed for a moment, then continued "And the person who Nash kept me from doing something overly stupid to. But yeah."

Dai closed his eyes, and took a momentary deep breath, thinking of his furious explosion, his attempted... sort of successful, sort of failed because of shields, assault on her, and still could not believe she had forgiven him. After another moment, he opened them again, appearing mostly calm and ok, and he nodded. "I had thought she was dead, after all, and she had been in the pod for a long-ish time, so... It was very shocking. But I am glad to have my sister back, because she and I were as close as we could be."

He blinked at the compliment about the smile, and his eyes went warmer then before. "Thank you, I always thought she had a beautiful smile, so I find that very flattering."

And she was smiling a lot, it seemed, if someone she met on the training field knew what her smile looked like. "Is she as tough as her boyfriend tells me she is?" He found himself asking, a hint of worry in his tone. Someone who had fought with her should know, he figured, and she was a Sun...

Dai was watching Henry for a moment, before he looked up, wondering what went through Henry's mind in this moment. When the other young man looked back up, though, he decided not to ask at the moment. If Henry wanted to tell him, Dai would listen, but Dai would not press the other man to speak about his thoughts. It was never comfortable to be pressured into that sort of thing, after all.

The smile, though, was noted and Dai's eyes crinkled at the corners, pleased to see it. Henry's smile was quite cute, he found himself thinking.

And then his question was answered, and he looked... relieved, relieved and pleased to hear that his sister was as tough as he hoped. "Thank you for telling me. I worry about her, after all, in battle, so to know she's tough..." It was almost a weight off his shoulders. "You beat her? Huh, she mentioned she'd only lost to one fellow trainee, before promoting. Didn't mention your name, though. And... yeah. I get the feeling she is... very determined to make the most of her life here. She didn't get that chance back home, so I am glad."

And then the offer to spar came, and Dai grinned wide. "That would be good! I haven't had a lot of battle experience. In fact, just in the tourney."

"Other then those of higher rank, from what she said" Dai shrugged. "So intermediates beat her but not, ya know, trainees like us. And she has no reason to lie about that." He paused and gave his new friend (he hoped) a wide grin. "Congratulations. I'am guessing, from your reaction, you had nod idea?"

Dai looked thoughtful at the suggestion, tapping his chin, then he gave a swift, decisive nod.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. I need it, and am enjoying your company. Between the two, I like the idea." And he'd get to see how the other man moved. Strange thought, perhaps, but he had noticed the way people moved in battle during the tourney... He wondered if it was similar to how they would move in... No he was stopping that line of thought. He was NOWHERE near at a point where he could find out with anyone, at this time.

"Well, glad I could pass that on to you, then." Dai winked in a friendly way, and shrugged. "I've seen that ridiculously large sword of hers... It looks big enough to take out a good size car or something." Dai had no idea that it had grown since Henry had last seen it.

He settled back a little more into his seat, looking genuinely relaxed and comfortable, one leg crossed over the other, and a hand languidly resting on his knee. Appearing comfortable with strangers around was a skill he had worked on... If nothing else, it made it easier to get under their skin, whether in a good or bad way.

At that question, Dai dug out his own phone, checking the text, curiously. "Mmm think we have another 3 and a half hours yet?"