[ It feels both good and dangerous, just bringing it right out there. Wrapping his hand around hers, Hei squeezes. He wishes he could hug her, but the bars are in the way. Of course, they're one of the simplest, most superficial barriers that exist between them. It'd be funny if it weren't so fucking awful. Drawing her closer, he brushes his lips against the inside of her wrist, the base of her palm. ]

You don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with. [ If she doesn't want to tell her friends about him, she has her reasons. She doesn't have to justify herself to him. Not when the logic behind her decision is clear enough. A beat, before he releases a breath he doesn't know he's holding. There are so many things he knows -- that she needs time for this to sink in, that being open and expressive isn't something that clicks over in a heartbeat, not for people like them -- but still, there's some small, genuine part of him that feels like this is a tiny first step among many. It's a start, isn't it? ]

I'm used to keeping the people I care about a secret. Because I don't want to hurt them. [ His gaze skims over her face, before dipping to study her hand. ] But if it's a tactic that makes us both frustrated, it's pointless. [ A beat, before he lets a little smile flit across his lips. ] Anyway, I don't stand a chance of hiding you from anyone. [ This is Korra. Not some squalid secret he can stow away. She seems made to shine. ]