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Albert had been very careful to avoid anything with pumpkin spice ever since his experiences near Halloween - he was never trusting the stuff again after spending a day as orange as though he'd walked out of a Willy Wonka movie. So instead, after he walked in the café and nodded to Khaida, Albert ordered a white chocolate mocha. Drink in hand, he made his way to her table and smiled at her.

"Afternoon, Kaida. You wanted to speak with me?"

Hopefully it wasn't about anything bad...

Albert sat down and sipped his drink thoughtfully as he thought over her words. "Loosely," he admitted, thinking over the word and what it likely meant for both Kaida and himself- while trying very hard not to fall into one of his overdramatic tizzies over what might very well be nothing to worry about.

That being said, he did have some idea where this conversation was going, now that Kaida had brought up what she had... an idea - but he wasn't certain, and until he knew what she was asking of him, he'd stay quiet and simply listen.

"Ah, I see." It was really the only thing that Albert could bring himself to say at first. After all she had both reassured him and... managed to confuse him a bit. Not necessarily because he was unable to understand what she meant, but rather because some of it did hit a bit closer to home than he'd quite realized it could.

He sipped his mocha again, aware that it was probably scaring Kaida half to death that he hadn't said much more yet, but he wasthinking, and he had to finish his thought process before he dared speak further. There was, however, one reassurance he could get out of the way quickly.

"Of course I do, Kaida. Honestly, I may not be old but I'm not so young and hot-blooded as to condemn you for something you can't help. I'll simply have to be satisfied with whatever pieces of your heart you can spare for me."

"Kaida," Albert began, and then sighed. He set his cup down and reached across the table for her hand, if she was willing to take it. "I did not say what I did to hurt you, and I'm sorry it came across that way." How could he put it without hurting her? Without giving in to that little voice inside him that wanted to be hurt and jealous over something he was lucky to have experienced at all?

"All I intended to do was to tell you I've no intention of trying to chain your heart, my dear. You wouldn't be youwith it trapped, and we both know that."

"It's alright, Kaida," Albert said, clinging to the hand he held in his own as he regarded its owner with a sad, thoughtful expression. "I may not fully understand, my dear, but that is only because I have enough difficulty understanding my own heart, let alone anyone else's. But never think that a lack of understanding means a lack of acceptance. I could never claim to love you, my lady, if I could not accept something that makes you who you are."

"I'm certain I'll have quite a few for you, once I can think of them," Albert said softly, as he continued sipping his drink. He was nearly halfway finished with it already - and luckily, no sign of illness or unpleasant skin-color changes. It might just be an ordinary beverage, what fortune! "But for now... perhaps it would be best to try to relax a little? You've no doubt worried yourself almost to the point of illness, given how troubled you look when I first came in."

At the mention of Kaida's work, Albert felt his face heating up into another blush and he was quick to hide his face behind his coffee as he squeaked. Just the thought of Kaida in that outfit - or... well, mostly lack of one, if he was going to be honest - was enough to turn him as red as an entirely awkward tomato.

"Did you, now?" He asked, and hoped he didn't sound quite so... squeaky... as he felt. "She must be quite endearing to have charmed you all so thoroughly."