[ The question does take him aback, has him flickering his eyes over and up again to parse out Mace's intention. Why, are you gonna try? The little furrow in his brow doesn't give away much about how he feels about the idea, probably. An inscrutable little divot, a wrinkle.

Picks up on the caveat, too, and that it's probably an attempt to mitigate the assertiveness the first question implies. He offers up a small consolation smile to ease the tension out, a little fond, maybe a touch sad. ]

I appreciate the offer. Your willingness to punk out a freshman is an extremely attractive quality. But no. I've never really given them the chance.

[ He ghosts, or he does that "taking the high road" thing where he acts like "the bigger person" and calmly but resolutely states that it's not gonna work out, and he has to go, and that's it. End of transaction.

He shifts, knees coming up, one hand breaking away from their little hold to scrub across his face - mouth, beard, both. ]

I didn't mean to make it... complicated. Honestly, I don't know what in the hell I'm doing, man. I don't know what... If we met anywhere else I'd have bolted, but we're not anywhere else. We're here. So. I don't know what that means, or if I even know how to do...

[ This. Whatever they're doing. ]

I just know we're doing it.

[ In a... nonsexual sense, but like, that too. ]