Re: lakeside mansion; hugh c./dietre a.
"Hey," Hugh stepped over and put a hand on Dietre's arm gentle, he could pull away if he wanted, but it might just ground both of them a little. "The good news is, I could talk until the cows come home, if you're not bored listening to me, or if we get tired of talking then we could listen to music, or put on a movie, and I'm generally happy and easy to please. I don't need to be entertained to enjoy spending time with someone, sometimes just someone that sees you a little - that's enough. And you don't need to try if you're not ready for it."
He paused, considering his words. "I wasn't, when I first moved here, and it was hard for a while - especially for me, because I am really social, and I prefer having people around. I know that's not everyone, but it is me. And I think I struggled not having that, but also - trying to put myself out there at that moment - I couldn't do it. Right now I can. But I think I needed to walk through the other too, you know?"
Hugh gave Dietre a warm smile. "Let's not overthink this, let's just enjoy each other's company."