He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead nodding as though he agreed with her idea. They weren't children who needed to run to the adults for approval for every little thing they did, but if Lotte wanted to ask then she could ask. "At least then we'll know for next time." Yes, there would likely be a next time, because only participating in one shift and then stopping would look suspicious, not to mention the fact that Lotte's opinion of him would fall.
Bran wasn't expecting her to be so close when he turned, and he barely managed to catch himself in time to keep himself from flinching too obviously. Luckily she was just as surprised, so he could shrug it off as a simple reflex. He began to apologize but stopped, never having liked the way 'I'm sorry' sounded on his lips. A sheepish smile was offered instead, acknowledging the fact that they'd both been startled.
He bit down on his tongue hard enough to draw blood when he felt her hand on his elbow, the brief shock enough to smother his instinct to yank his arm away. He told himself he could do this, that it was just Lotte and he was going to have to accustom himself to physical contact or his pretense wouldn't last long. In order to release the tension he focused on the tune Lotte had been humming when they were discussing dance, playing it over and over within his mind until he was able to return her look with a reassuring smile; letting her know that it was alright as they headed down to the lobby.