…how could he ask her…?

…what was too much to put on another person…?

…why did he even feel [anything?!] this way, when he'd largely succeeded in living his life alone…?

… …

…how could he not?

He swallowed. Not knowing how to do this, thinking he almost certainly shouldn't, but unable to move forward any other way.

"Are you…" Breathe. "…still…" Calm down. Cool it. "…comfortable with…" …gotta commit now don't you… "…sharing?"

Bad idea bad idea bad idea

Surely lying down beside her and not touching her would be even worse, much harder, than just staying in separate rooms.

But it was a physical impossibility for him not even to ask it, now.