Trust me, sir, I don't think you could be more surprising than this.

[Alexei is, well, Alexei! As rigid and no-nonsense as they come, who Schwann has figured has no time or desire for intimacy. That's potentially still true, and yet...

Yeah. It really is a shame that this is the only time he'll get to see this more tender side of Alexei. He rather likes it.]

The before and afters have been more awkward than the actual process, which is funny to think about... I guess both of us really wanted this, deep down. It feels that natural.

[More uncomfortable implications to unpack later.]