Love hadn't been what had been on Rhys' mind when he'd entered that club with Mab that night, and maybe not when Joseph had brought him upstairs, but there had definitely been feelings involved ever since. To say he fell fast and hard was a little bit of an understatement, but how could he have not? Maybe, Amadeus warning him had pushed him to say how he felt out loud, made him really take a look into himself. He would have gotten to this point, he knew that, but would it have been the same? Not that he was ever going to say anything like that out loud.
There wasn't a future that, at this moment, he could imagine without the man still in his lap. Even so, he was young, he was sheltered. He didn't know what the outside world looked like and was only gaining glimpses now, with Joseph and Amadeus and Mab. There might have been a day where he finally pushed himself out of the nest instead of everyone doing it for him, but that would be a worry for later. Not now, not for a long time.
Though he was seeing hearts and stars, the fledgling couldn't help but frown at that. "You better not." Go into another burning building so soon. He knew it was a joke but it was just... too soon? Yeah. It was soothed over with the rest, maybe, but he was going to be clinging a little bit to the older man from now on. As much as he tried not to.
Lips parted to respond to the part about his potential but Joseph didn't stop, but instead continued. It had been a moment since Rhys knew for a fact that he would have been tomato red if he could blush still, but this was definitely one of those moments. The mention of his sire, and why he was embraced? It was all a little too much and his face fell again, arms going around him again. If he buried his face against his lover's shoulder, he could hold it together, right? Maybe not, but he was going to try his best. He'd done well. He'd finally done it.