[Good thing Gregor doesn't intend to corner him. He just wants him to keep a little less bottled up, which is rich coming from Gregor, but it's an Emperor's prerogative to be a hypocrite. Gregor at least tends to implode rather than explode, like Miles.
But he sees that smile and he knows what it's in reaction to and he can't help that the-- the awkward feeling increases. With almost anyone else, he'd have no difficulty whatsoever keeping all of these little slip ups to himself, as resolute and implacable as he is in every council session. But he'd grown up with Miles, with all of the Vorkosigans, and with recent events at home he's completely beyond himself at the mere thought of distrusting him. That very trust makes it impossible to keep everything to himself, no matter how easy it is when he pays attention to it. It's when he doesn't...
He tries to cover up by sipping his coffee, even as his own sense of shyness betrays him mentally. He'd worked so hard on his reserve, damn it.]
So you're not totally unhappy, but you feel like you're spinning your wheels a bit? [he surmises. Maybe a leading question will help.]
no subject
But he sees that smile and he knows what it's in reaction to and he can't help that the-- the awkward feeling increases. With almost anyone else, he'd have no difficulty whatsoever keeping all of these little slip ups to himself, as resolute and implacable as he is in every council session. But he'd grown up with Miles, with all of the Vorkosigans, and with recent events at home he's completely beyond himself at the mere thought of distrusting him. That very trust makes it impossible to keep everything to himself, no matter how easy it is when he pays attention to it. It's when he doesn't...
He tries to cover up by sipping his coffee, even as his own sense of shyness betrays him mentally. He'd worked so hard on his reserve, damn it.]
So you're not totally unhappy, but you feel like you're spinning your wheels a bit? [he surmises. Maybe a leading question will help.]