Ernie wasn't looking away or pulling away or changing it. And Zach was fine with that. He was fine just taking it all in, including the features he had only seen in passing or at a distance. Zach had instantly noticed some things, but he liked them. And Ernie's eyes - Zach kept on being drawn back to them, even if his mouth were mildly distracting.
But he didn't want to do anything right then. Almost any movement seemed too risky, to threaten the fragile situation that had come up. He liked being that close to Ernie, and there were elements of awkward feelings, mostly because he didn't know what to do. So he just chose to enjoy it - and watch, as he wanted Ernie to feel better. That's what had started it. And he did want it.