"That's saying it an adorable amount. I like you lots." 

"I like you lots too!"

He is going to wrap his feet around Sasha's feet.

So!! Cute!!!! 

"We were talking," he says, "before I got distracted."

"Yes. We were. You were going to ask me questions, because 'everything' is a lot of things." 

"I don't-- want to ask you questions about things you might not want to share with me."

"....you could ask me questions and if I don't want to share something I'll tell you so?" 

"Okay," he says quietly. "What's Marlo like?"

"He's incredible." Sasha's voice is very soft. "He's — kind of shy, and he's not always great at words or people but he cares really deeply, and he's so, so sweet, he gives great hugs and I love listening to him talk about his day and — wow, I have such a type —" 

"He sounds great. I'd. Like to meet him if he was okay with that and you were okay with that."

"I'm okay with that, I'd have to ask him. I bet he'd like you." 

Bounce bounce bounce bounce.

"Who is Asher?"

"Asher is my best friend, who I am sort of quasi dating even though he's straight, it's complicated. He's also great — we're kinda coworkers, he helped me into this job, he does findomming and people send him exponentially more weird race stuff than they send me — I'm not sure if the two of you would like each other, you have a bunch of interests in common but he's a little much sometimes." 

"He's dating you even though he's straight? --I guess I'm also straight. Maybe your type is straight guys."

"The way he phrases it is that he is not actually sexually attracted to me but he loves me and it's like giving your friend a massage when they've had a rough day except also there are orgasms, and I haven't poked this too hard because he is in general ridiculous and it's the kind of thing he'd do. And Marlo's gay, my type is apparently 'enthusiastic nerdy people who are very cute and not great with people.'" 

"I love you!!!"

"I like you lots." 

"I think mine is more like-- I wouldn't have been attracted to you if I just saw a picture of you and someone told me you were a guy, but I like trans girls, and I like you, and-- I want to have sex with you whatever your gender identity is. Because you're great."

"I know I keep saying you're cute but I can't think of any other way to react to things like that." 

"You can keep calling me cute as much as you want! --What was the thing you were sad about earlier?"

"I have a tragic backstory involving an abusive relationship I got into in college, and the thing with the charity got me thinking about people claiming to act for ideological reasons but actually all their gifts have strings you can't see attached, and, well." 

Lev hugs him very very tightly. 

"I wouldn't."

"If I thought you would we'd be having a very different conversation. It just — reminded me." 

"Is that why you're camming?"

He makes a noncommittal sound. "It's why I'm camming as opposed to having a college degree, it's not why I'm camming as opposed to being a bartender or barista or something."