[At first he recoils a bit as she reaches towards his face, but when it registers in his head what she's doing he leans back toward her and lets her help. Her touch tingles against his lips, sending a small shiver town his spine.

Suddenly he's much more aware of her presence, and he can feel his pulse liven up a bit. Perhaps she'd managed to catch him a little off guard. He snaps himself back to the conversation, hoping to get his mind back on track.]

You know, I used to be pretty damned reckless... I got in over my head plenty of times, much more so than I do now. But with Nate, I've become more aware of my limits. I don't want to risk too much because I know I'm... well I'm not as young as I used to be. I want to make sure I'm around until Nate doesn't need me anymore.

Though, Nate's just like I was, he's reckless, he's stubborn, and he's not always good at knowing when to back down. I know though, that when he finds someone to care about, he'll change. He'll understand the risks.

That's why I was really hoping things would work out for him and Miss Sunshine. I thought she'd be the one to get him to calm down. Ah well... he'll get it together sooner or later.

[He pauses for an extended period, his mind roving over thoughts of Nate and Elena, until he finally drifts back and returns to his thought.]

Anyway, I promise you if things get hairy here for whatever reason, I know how to back out. And I will. I'm aware of my limits now.

[He gently held her hand to his lips briefly, planting a small kiss on it as if to punctuate his promise.]

You don't have to worry about me, sweetheart.