He blinked and considered getting offended, but really, he had been terrified, hadn't he? "You never met who I was actually afraid of," he mumbled, taking another shot. "And - well. You never did."

He'd be dead right now if it had actually been his Gabriel, of course. Instead of doing - whatever this was. What was he doing? Oh, yes, thinking of a question. "I never - " This was no good, he was running out of ideas. "Never had a romantic relationship?" he hazarded, tapping his fingers uncertainly on the edge of the table.