[ His face starts to feel like it's burning all over. Maybe he's getting a cold. Even someone like him still is "human" enough for such a possibility. ]

...Putting it like that is unacceptable for me to even consider agreeing.

[ Can you imagine him saying yes after someone asks him like that? He does have his pride...absolutely. But, the worst part is that he knows exactly the kind of answer he feels compelled to have given, rather than the one that has been voiced aloud. He had no problems with holding hands before, after all. ]

Relaxation, as you might imagine, does not come easy to someone like me.