"And...seriously. It's totally not a big deal. Okay?"

She knows it has nothing to do with him telling Michael. That part doesn't even matter. And she'd have been lying if she hadn't said she'd already known. She'd seen the signs ages ago.

The other part didn't make sense to her, though.  The part that he'd tacked on afterwards.  The part where he'd said he was totally over it. Maybe he was. Maybe she didn't want him to be.

=======

"I'm really glad you're here. Okay?"

He'd practiced this conversation over and over in his head for almost two months. Of course, he'd always figured that by the time it became a reality, he'd be able to look her in her eyes and say, with certainty, that it now means nothing. But he watches her smile with acceptance, and prays that she'll never be able to fill in the blanks.

Afterwards, he jokes with her about the mask on her face and inwardly pushes himself harder to keep up with the one on his.