He always leans slightly into the press of her lips. For all he'd been away from society most of his early life, the expression of touch has made infinite sense to him. The devotion he had to Rachel, the affection he held tight in his heart, the incredibly innocent love obvious in every smile he sent in her direction; all of it felt best expressed, to his heart, when he could hold her hand or kiss her forehead or lie close beside her.

It's cautious now, reaching to loosely catch her fingers in his for a moment. "When you are, we'll be glad it wasn't--"

His sigh is just a little soft as he squeezes her fingers.

"We'll be married our whole lives, Rachel. We shouldn't-- begin in hurt and discomfort."