Dorian had just been stopping by home briefly to drop something off at the house, and has just been leaving something on Orym’s pillow when Ashton bursts in, and he jumps slightly startled.

Turning back to Ashton, he blinks, as it takes a moment for his mind to register the words. But when he does his cheeks flush a bit, and he clears his throat nervously.

“Ah well… to be honest I’m… not sure myself,” he admits hesitantly.

Dorian can only manage a sheepish shrug. “Sorry,” he says, as if it’s his fault he’s never fallen in love before.

Probably.

But understanding that that answer probably isn’t very helpful, he offers his friend to sit down. “What sort of things do you feel when you’re around him?”

He maybe not be able to offer much advice, but he can at least listen and let Ashton talk things through.

Dorian can't help a small smile as he listens, and he chuckles softly as he nods. "Well, that I have felt," he says after a moment. Honestly, that is exactly how he feels when he's around Orym.

"To be honest, I don't know if it is love... all I can tell you is that, that feeling? I know for me personally, I want to find out if it is."

Another chuckle, this a bit more nervous as he takes a seat beside Ashton, careful to not dislodge the sprig of flowers he'd placed on Orym's pillow.

"The truth is, when I left home I had... all these fanciful notions of what it would mean to be free, to explore and have all these adventures. And everything I've experienced since then is nothing like I expected it to be." He sits, a bit hunched forward with his elbows resting on his knees, playing a bit with his hands. "Everything is so much different than how I pictured it, even who I thought I would be, and..." He pauses a moment, trying to find the right words. "I'd always imagined falling in love, what that would be like. And I've had flights of fancy with people before, even back home. But the way I feel for Orym... it's unlike anything I've ever felt for anyone before. And I guess... part of me is a bit worried about messing it up. Maybe I just want to be sure of what it is, because I'm scared of either of us getting hurt in the end."

He falls quiet a moment, then shakes his head and clears his throat. "Sorry, uh... you weren't asking about all that." He mentally kicks himself, feeling bad for dumping all this on Ashton when the other had been the one coming to him for advice.

Dorian nods a little. "Yeah, I think I can understand that. It certainly isn't all the sunshine and rainbows stories make it out to be. Although that's a big part of it too."

Dorian laughs with a shrug, patting Ashton’s shoulder. “It’s fine. I won’t say I wasn’t surprised, but I am flattered that you’d come to me to talk about it. I’m sorry I wasn’t much help though.”

The comment sends a flush to his cheeks, and he glances away with a sheepish chuckle. “I-I mean… just because I don’t know what love is doesn’t mean I can’t share tokens of affection.” Then, playing with his hands a bit, he adds almost shyly, “Plus I just thought he might like them.”

A bit surprised as he glances at Ashton, his expression softens into a smile. “Oh, he gave you a flower too?” He chuckles softly. “I was thinking that too. Do you remember the flower he gave me when I was dueling your friend Anni? I still have that… somewhere.” He didn’t have most of his things here right now, but back home he had a book where he’d pressed the flower between. “He’s always giving flowers to others, so when I saw these I wanted to give him some too.”

Dorian nods. “I know. It’s why, more than anything, I want to be able to take care of him too.”

Orym more than deserves to be taken care of. And while Dorian feels that he lacks in a lot of things, he can do that at least.

With a smile, Dorian places his hand on Ashton’s shoulder. “Hey… we’re both really lucky to have you here too. You’ve done a lot for us, and… well, I didn’t get a chance to before, but I’ve actually been meaning you thank you.”

“For being there with Orym this whole time. I know you think he was taking care of you more than anything, but I’m just glad he wasn’t alone.”

Dorian nods. “I know. But I’m still grateful for it. I’m glad you were all there for each other.”

That they all had one another to turn to.

Dorian frowns, the way Ashton trails off worrying him a bit.

“What… you know now…?” He draws a breath. “Did… Orym tell you?”

They’d both been uncertain about how to break the news to Ashton, or whether they should at all. But it had felt wrong to keep such a thing from them, knowing what the automaton meant to them.