Chris's brain, valiantly trying to restart after a day of disasters, took exactly three seconds to spit out a conclusion:
'Oh no. Oh no. He's going to be weird about this.'
Chris swallowed. "It wasn't a real request."
Dax tilted his head. "It sounded real."
"It wasn't."
"You said it clearly."
"I was melting down! I have no idea what I was saying!"
"Even melted," Dax replied, stepping closer, "you are very honest."
Chris made a strangled noise. "Don't you dare turn this into something sentimental."
Dax ignored that completely. Of course he did. He was already circling the chair, one slow, thoughtful pivot that made every nerve in Chris's body decide to wake up and start filing threat reports.
He leaned down again, his voice a deep, warm ribbon of sound. "Christopher."
Chris gripped the arms of the chair like it might anchor him to sanity. "No."
